Pucovski’s bid to beat concussion

WILL Pucovski is set for a long winter of working on ways to better handle the short ball after suffering a third concussion for the summer on Sunday.

Victorian officials said Pucovski was recovering well, and had returned to normal faster than after previous head knocks following the incident at the Junction Oval.

The 20-year-old batsman was subbed out of the Sheffield Shield clash against NSW when he was struck on the helmet while trying to avoid a bouncer from bowler Sean Abbott.

Pucovski spent time in a dark room on Sunday night and was suffering from headaches, but left the ground with his parents and was expected to return on Monday to watch day three of the match.

Concerned NSW players attend to Will Pucovski after he was hit by a Sean Abbott short ball. Pic: AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy

Cricket Victoria general manager Shaun Graf said there was no doubt Pucovski, who made a maiden first class century with 188 against Queensland last month, needed to work on his technique when facing short bowling.

He has been hit on the head three times while batting this summer alone, and has suffered other concussions while fielding and training.

Most believe Pucovski has the talent to play for Australia, but he faces an immediate challenge to ensure the spate of concussions doesn't continue.

"He's central to our whole planning for the future. If he can get over this issue with his technique, he should go to the next level," Graf said.

"We have worked with him and he has worked on his technique.

"On the harder bouncier wickets he has played the short ball well, in Perth and in Brisbane. In Victoria and NSW, we tend to get wickets that skid on a bit … that's where he came unstuck. He took his eyes off the ball slightly and it crunched in to his helmet."

Graf said Pucovski had to get better because he was sure to be peppered with short bowling for the rest of his career having shown a weakness in that area.

"He knows he has got to improve in that area. He is a great trainer, he works really hard," Graf told RSN on Monday morning.

"The big thing is he has got to face is that over his entire career now he is going to be bounced.

'We're very confident in the way he recovered that he won't be far away from getting back in the nets."